A nation’s wealth does not spare women from violence

In eight of the world’s wealthiest countries women undergo death by violence at rates as high, or higher, than men, despite declining levels of violence overall, according to the study “A Gendered Analysis of Violent Deaths” done for the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In rich locales like Austria, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Slovenia and Switzerland, levels of violence are on a downward spiral, but their murder rates for females either outpace or matche males when those who conducted the study applied a formula called a “gendered” measurement, reports The Crime Report.

“Among the types of violence affecting women globally, intimate partner homicide remains a concern. … Germany and Switzerland are among just six countries in the world, all European, where more women than men were killed by firearms,” study authors, Mireille Widmer and Irene Pavesi wrote.

The study noted that the rate of homicides due to domestic and intimate partner violence “have proven particularly difficult to reduce.”

The authors of the study reached their conclusion by comparing disaggregated gender data against homicide rates of the general population.

The research showed that there were more men than women killed in the United States and around the world. However, the objective was to find a method to measure how women experience risk in different parts of the world, mostly in industrialized countries, which have seen a decline in violence.

In the most volatile and conflict-ridden countries, the report found both men and women suffer high numbers of violent deaths. However, in Afghanistan the rate of female deaths rose by 70 percent between the years of 2009-2015 and civilian deaths by 47 percent.

The study suggested this may be because the Afghanistan murders were aimed at women who were prominent human rights defenders or other women working in public life.

In their preliminary analysis, authors Widmer and Pavesi said the study indicated little progress has been made in industrialized countries when it comes to reducing domestic violence.